The electrical grid connecting America's power plants, transmission lines and substations to homes, businesses and factories operate almost entirely within the realm of high voltage alternating current (AC). Yet, an increasing fraction of devices found in those buildings actually operate on low voltage direct current (DC). Those devices include, but are not limited to, digital displays, remote controls, touch-sensitive controls, transmitters, receivers, timers, light emitting diodes (LEDs), audio amplifiers, microprocessors, other digital electronics and virtually all products utilizing rechargeable or disposable batteries.
Installation of devices utilizing low voltage DC has been typically limited to locations in which either a pair of wires carrying high voltage AC are routed to the device that has a self-contained ability to convert the AC power to a useful form of low voltage DC power or where a pair of wires are routed from a separate source of useful low voltage DC power. Increased versatility in placement and powering of low voltage DC components is desirable. Specifically, there is an increasing desire to have electrical functionality, such as power and signal transmission, in the ceiling environment without the drawbacks of known ceiling systems, including the drawback of pair wiring from the voltage source.
A conventional ceiling grid framework includes main grid elements running the length of the ceiling with cross grid elements therebetween. The main and cross elements form the ceiling into a grid of polygonal openings into which function devices, such as ceiling tiles, light fixtures, speakers, motion detectors and the like can be inserted and supported. The grid framework and ceiling tile system may provide a visual barrier between the living or working space and the infrastructure systems mounted overhead.
Known systems that provide electrification to ceiling devices, such as lighting, utilize a means of routing wires, principally on an “as needed” point-to- point basis via conduits, cable trays and electrical junctions located in or about the plenum space above the ceiling grid framework. These known systems suffer from the drawback that the network of wires required occupy the limited space above the ceiling grid, and are difficult to service or reconfigure. Moreover, the techniques currently used are limited in that the electricity that is provided to the ceiling environment is not reasonably accessible from all directions relative to the ceiling plane. In other words, electricity can be easily accessed from the plenum, but not from areas within or below the plane of the grid framework. Further, the electrical power levels that are typically available are not safe for those not trained, licensed and/or certified in the practice to work with.
What is needed is a ceiling system that provides electrical functionality to the ceiling grid framework without the drawbacks of known ceiling systems. The present invention accomplishes these needs and provides additional advantages.